Emiah m



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. B. WILSON. ELEGTEIG EAILWAY SYSTEM.

No. 542,512. Patented July 9, 1595.

-- Niv/ml (No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2. R. B. WILSON.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

.jij-V1: g 5 l Paw Ju N Il lmp Niinn Sintes ATnNT FFICE@ ROBERT B. VILSON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JER- EMIAl-I WILSON,OFfWASI-IINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTERIVI.

SSECIFIGATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,512, dated July 9, 1895.

Application filed January 2, 1894. Serial No.495A18. (No model.)

, To @ZZ whom it' may concern..-

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. WILSON, a citizen ofV the United States, residing at Oincinnati, in the county ot' Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful l Improvements in Electric-Railway Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the ro art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric-railway systems, dac. A

The object is to maintain a current to a secl tion of a sectional conductor independently of a moving body along the sections; furthermore, readily to effect charge and discharge of the sections of a sectional conductor; furthermore,4to prevent any appreciable loss oli' zo electrical energy by leakage, and, finally, to produce an electric-railway Vsystem in which the line-conductor or line shall present no live portions except at the car and for a short distance before and behind it, whereby danger of injury to man or beast, or of short-circuiting or grounding the current, is avoided. With these objects in view the invention consists, essentially, inan electric system in which are comprised a main leadlconductor, 3o a sectional conductor with sections of any desired length, and means or devices for making connection between the lead and the sectional conductor, each section having its own connecting means or device separatefrom any other, and the connectingr device of each section being normally open and disconnected from the lead and adapted to be closedV by a current of electricity from a preceding section, held closed by a current of electricity, 4o through itself, and opened again mechanically. Furthermore, the invention consists in devices for achieving the results as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the present embodiment the invention is shown as applied to a railway system and an underground form thereof, but it may be applied with great advantage to other sys` tems. In the accompanying drawings, in which 5o like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l is a view in diagram of an electrical system, exhibiting application of the invention to a single line of track and showing the main or lead conductor leading from a dynamo, the sectional conductor, each section of which has its own separate device formaking connection'with the lead, and all connections being open but one; the moving body, thesame having closed the connection in its passage from the preceding section to 6o the one where it now appears by bridging the space between the sections, and the connection at this section being held closed by a cnrrent from the lead through the connecting device; means for opening the connection mechanically, and a return-conductor. Fig. 2

is a view in vertical cross-section, broken through to save space, exhibiting application of the invention to an electrical-railway system with single track and showing the main 7o conductor insulated and in a conduit running parallel with the track, the sectional con# ductor in a conduit between the rails, and the device suitably boxed adjacent to the track for making connection between the lead and a section of the sectional conductor; also, the return-conductor in the conduit, this iigure being a mere pictorial representation ot' the subject-matter shown in diagram in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical cross-section with 8o interior movable paris in elevation, showing the current-collector and a portion of the switch mechanism and the connecting device. Fig. 4' is a view in longitudinal section with parts in elevation, showing the sectional conductor with current-collector bridging the space between two sections and its arm to act for opening the connecting device mechanically. Fig. 5 is a view in diagram exhibiting application of the invention to a double line 9o ot' track, but showing otherwise the same as is displayed in Fig. l; and Fig. 6 is a view in vertical cross-section, broken through to save space, exhibiting application ofthe invention to an electrical railway system with a double track, showing the same parts asV those displayed by Fig. 2, but with arrangement bt' the lead-conductor and connecting device between the tracks, there being no detail `ot construction or of operation shown in this roo ligure or in the preceding one,which is novel beyond what is herein claimed as applicable to the other figures of the drawings, the invention being the same as exhibited in the other drawings, with merely further and better illustration thereof.

In the drawings, A and B represent two conductors, the former constituting a lead from a dynamo or other source of electricity and the lattera return thereto or a discharge to ground, the conductors to extend along the track of the railway.

In the embodiment of the invention here illustrated an insulation-covered conductor A, being the conductor from the positive pole of the dynamo or the positive lead, is laid parallel with the road-bed of the railway, and an uncovered or bare conductor B, being the conductor to the negative pole of the dynamo or the negative lead, is held in a conduit in such position as to be engaged by a current-collector entering the same. An uncovered or bare conductor C, forming the line, and composed of disconnected sections, with its initial section in constant electrical connection with the conductor A, is designed to beheld by suitable insulated supports parallel with the conductor B. Between each section ofthe conductor C and the insulationcovered conductor A, is arranged a device by which, in connection with a current-collector, the section will be connected automatically with the insulation-covered conductor when a car reaches the section, and by which the section will be disconnected from this conductor when the car passes from the section, the car being propelled by an electric motor on it, through which the current passes from a section of the conductor C by the currentcollector to the return-conductor B. These connections consist, essentially, of electromagnets D and their armatures d, either one or both of which maybe movable, permitting their being moved into contactJ with each other and-of their being separated, conductor d2 connecting the armature d with the conductor A, conductors d3 connecting the cores of the magnets D with the sections of the conductor C, and conductors F, connected with the switches, wound around the cores of the electromagnets to provide means for energizing the same and then extending to ground. From this arrangement of parts it will be seen that the current is first from the dynamo by the conductor A to the first section of the sectional conductor C, thence through the current-collector to the returnconductor B back to the dynamo. sage of the current through the motor on the car puts this in motion and it moves onward, carrying the current-collector G with it. As the current-collector comes to an interval between the first section of the sectional conductor C and the next it bridges the interval, making the first and second sections electrically continuons, and the current is then partly and perhaps mainly back to the dynamo bythe conductor B, as before,butalso by the second section of the conductor C through the switch E and conductor F, through the coil of the electromagnet D to ground, energizing the magnet and carrying its core to attract and make connection with the conductor d2. The current will then be from the conductor A, also through the conductor cl2 and core of the magnet, and by conductor d3 to the section, and thence again by the switch around the core of the magnet, keeping the magnet energized and holding the connection closed, so that the current thus from the lead continues as long as the switch is left in contact with the section.

The current collector G extends down through the slot of a conductor and is provided with wheels q g2, which come into contact, respectively, with the conductor B and the sectional conductor C, and are both electrically connected with a motor I on the car.

Vertical portions g3 g4 of the current-collector, which are insulated from each other, support shafts g5 g, upon which are. pivoted arms g7 g8, in which the wheels g and g2 are mounted. The arms are given an upward pressure by the coiled springs gg, wound around the shafts Q59, and by this means the wheels are inV constant contact with the conductors. The upward movement of the arms Q7 g8, in which the wheels g g2 are mounted, is limited by the pins 77.10 glo, extending outward from the vertical portions of the current-collector, whereby undue raising of the wheels is prevented.

The switches E are mounted on shafts e, upon which are placed coil-springs e2 e2, by which the switches are kept inA contact with the sections of the conductor C, except when removed therefrom to demagnetize the cores of the magnets D and -to break the connection between the conductors A and B, as described. The raising of the switches E from the sections of the conductor C is accomplished b v an upward extension or projection g11 from the arm g8 of lthe current-collector, which is so arranged as to come into contact with the switch immediately after the wheel first comes into contact with a succeeding seetion of the conductor C. The projection g11 is provided with insulation at 912, so that possibility of completing a circuit through the arm from the current-collector, when the projection comes in contact with the switches, is prevented.

In the operation of the device the wheels g and g2 of the current-collector being, respectively, in contact with the conductor B and the initial section of the sectional conductor C,

and being electrically connected with a motor on al car, the car will move along, being impelled by electricity, a circuit for which is partially formed by the initial section. As the car moves along the wheel g2 of the current-collector passes to a second section of the conductor C, bridging the space between the sections. Immediately upon the contactv of the wheel g2 with the next section a current will pass through the knext section from the initial section to the advanced end thereof, at

diately after the wheel g2 comes in contact which place the switch E is placed, and thence through the switch and the conductor F to ground, energizing the electrouiagnet D and causing it to attract its armature. When contact is made between the electromagnet D and its'armature, connection is established between the conductor A, connection d2, the armature d, core of the electromagnet D, connection d3, one ofthe sections of conductor C, the current-collectors, the motor on the car, and the conductor B, thus completing the main circuit. As the current-collector passes from a section, the projection g11 comes in contact with the switch E, mechanically raising it from contact with the section ot' the conductor C over which the currentcollector has just passed, thus discontinuing the current through the conductor F and allowing the electromagnet to separate from its armature, breaking the main current at that point. The raising of the switch takes place immewith the nextsection of the conductor C and the contact of the wheel g2 with the section has furnished a current for operation of the `electromagnet by which the main-line circuit is established for such section, the switch-returning to its normal position then as the projection g11 passes from under it. The operation is repeated as the wheel g2 ot' the current-collector comes in contact with each successive section of the sectional conductor, causing a current of electricity to pass through the sections of thesectionalconductor successively, as the cars pass, and leaving all the sections except those with which the currentcollectors are in contact dead.

By the arrangement of mysectional conductors and their connectionswith the main lead I secure for each section a current that is entirely independent of the current which operates the car, thereby preventing a loss of electrical connection with the main lead by `any accidental `breaking of the circuit that operates the car, (as by the disconnection of the trolley while the car is passing over the section or by stopping the can) which must occur when the car-circuit alone is depended on to maintain the connection.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an electric railway system, a main lead conductor and a sectionalconductor, each section of which has its own connection with the lead conductor, the connection being normally open and disconnected from the lead conductor and adapted to be closed by a current from a preceding section and thereafter to be kept closed by-a current through itself direct to the return separate from and independent of any other connection, substantially as described.

2.*In an electric railway system, the combination with a main lead conductor and a sectional conductor each section of which has its own connection with the lead conductor, the connection being separate from and independent of any other connection, normally open and disconnected from the lead conductor, and adapted to be closed by a current kept closed by a current through itself direct to the return, ot' means of opening the connection mechanically by a passing car, substantially as described.

3. In an electrical railway system, a main lead-conductor and a sectional conductor each section of which has its own separate and independent connection Vwith the lead-conductor, the connection including electro-magnet the core of which is normally disconnected from the lead-conductor and connected with a section of the sectional conductor, and the winding of which is connected with the section and to ground, whereby the core is closed with the lead-conductor by a current from the section around the winding to ground, energizing the core, and the core is held closed by a current from the lead conductor through the core to the section and back from the section around the winding to ground, and a mechanical switch adapted to break connection between the section and the winding by a passing car, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical railway systern,a leadconductor to connect with a dynamo or other source of electricity and extending alongl a railway, a return conductor or discharge, a sectional conductor, connections between the sectional conductor and the lead, the'connections including electro-magnets and their armatures, one or both of which are movable and which are connected, respectively, to the several sections of the sectional conductor and to the lead, conductors connected to the several sections of the sectional conductors by mechanical switches, and wound around the electro-magnets, extending to ground, and a current-collector connected with a motor on a car and engaging the return and the sectional conductor and coming in contact with the switches, substantially as described.

5. In an electrical lrailway system, a leadconductor to connect with a dynamo or other source of electricity, and extending alongI a railway, a return conductor or discharge, a sectional conductor, connections between the sectional conductor and the lead, the connections ineluding electro-magnets and their armatures, one or both of which are movable and which are connected, respectively, to the several sections of the sectional conductor and to the lead, conductors connected to the several sections of the sectional conductors by mechanical switches and wound around the electro-magnets extending to ground, and a current-collector connected with a motor on a moving car, engagingthe return and the sectional conductor, and having an upward extension coming in contact with the switches, substantially as described.

from aprecedingsection and thereafter to be IOO 6. A trolley for underground electric rail- In testimony whereof I afx my signature ways, consisting of two Vertical supports conin presence of two Witnesses. nected tothe respective brushes of an electric motor, arms pivotally connected with the ROBERT. B. WILSON. 5 supports and provided With coil springs,

Wheels mounted on the arms, and pins Where- Witnesses:

by the upward movement of the arms is lim- DAVID H. MEAD,

ited, substantially as described. E. H. PARRY. 

